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Movies / On DVD / Last Life in the Universe
Last Life in the Universe

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Last Life in the Universe (2004)

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Reviews Counted:40

Fresh:36

Rotten:4

Average Rating:7.4/10

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Aug 6, 2004 Limited

Synopsis: A magic-realist romance about the culture bridges we build - sometimes wish we could jump off of Last Life in the Universe brings together three of the most exciting talents in current world... A magic-realist romance about the culture bridges we build - sometimes wish we could jump off of Last Life in the Universe brings together three of the most exciting talents in current world cinema: director Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Japanese superstar Asano Tadanobu, and Hong Kong-based cinematographer Christopher Doyle. Under the guidance of this much-celebrated triumvirate, refugee elements of Japanese yakuza films, an unpredictable succession of lush and intoxicating images, and a host of eccentric narrative tics from the cutting edge of Thai cinema converge to tell the story of the mysterious Kenji, a lonely, obsessive-compulsive Japanese librarian's assistant and occasional suicide hobbyist quietly living - and hoping to die - in Bangkok. Hiding from an unknown past, the Mishima-identified and moppishly-coiffed Kenji seems determined on a premature rendezvous with oblivion: when first we meet him, he's already swinging by the neck from a makeshift noose. (Or is he?) If only Nid, the beautiful Thai woman Kenji spies between the shelves one day, hadn't managed to die first. And if only Nid's acid-tongued sister, Noi - who inadvertently begins seducing the suicidal loner back into the chaos of life - weren't leaving for Osaka on the Monday morning plane... -- © Palm Pictures [More]

Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Sinitta Boonyasak, Laila Boonyasak, Matsushige Yutaka

Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Sinitta Boonyasak, Laila Boonyasak, Matsushige Yutaka, Takeuchi Riki

Director: Pen-ek Ratanaruang

Director: Pen-ek Ratanaruang
Screenwriter: Prabda Yoon, Pen-ek Ratanaruang
Producer: Nonzee Nimibutr, Duangkamol Limcharoen
Composer: Small Room, Hualampong Riddim
Studio: Palm Pictures

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Release:

Feb 15, 2005

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Reviews for Last Life in the Universe

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

This arthouse drama could have used less concept and more focused storytelling.

Full Review Source: Boston Herald | comment 1 Comment
08/20/04
Paul Sherman
Paul Sherman
Boston Herald

It's an unsuccessful experiment in combining genres that are as irreconcilable as oil and water.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment 1 Comment
08/03/04
Ryan Gilbey
Ryan Gilbey
Sight and Sound
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
08/21/04
Boston Phoenix

[Reflects] the growing interpenetration of many individual national cinemas into a cultural conglomerate that reflects the irresistible tide of cinematic globalization.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
10/01/04
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This trip-hoppy tone poem left me feeling like I'd never seen a movie before.

Full Review Source: The Stranger (Seattle, WA) | comment Comment
12/05/04
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

...rests entirely on Asano’s performance, and he doesn’t disappoint.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
08/18/04
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

A lovely film, if a little out of balance with itself.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
08/05/04
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

The closest thing to entering a dream state at the movies right now is watching Last Life in the Universe.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
08/07/04
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor
Salon.com

A disarmingly sweet, darkly funny charmer.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
07/30/04
David Parkinson
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine

Moody, atmospheric, and bewitching, like other first-rate examples of modern Thai cinema.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
08/05/04
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

Macabre film about a suicidal librarian.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
04/29/05
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

a deeply intriguing and contemplative two-person character study that offers many small rewards along the way

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
08/19/04
Don Willmott
Don Willmott
Filmcritic.com

Last Life in the Universe isn’t so much weightless as it is liable to inspire weightlessness.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
07/05/04
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine

The mildly surreal drama doesn't always make sense, but it sure does look great.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
08/06/04
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News

A brilliantly atmospheric, sweetly nutty film.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
08/19/04
Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly

Asano Tadanobu and Sinitta Boonyasak are a total thrill to watch, so much so that you want to jump through the screen and give them a big old hug.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
05/08/04
Eric Campos
Eric Campos
Film Threat

The film has a precise, slow pace that allows us to get to know these quiet, quirky characters, and an imaginatively experimental approach to their thoughts and dreams.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
09/17/04
G. Allen Johnson
G. Allen Johnson
San Francisco Chronicle
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

'The Odd Couple' Thai-style.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
07/22/04
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

It may sound like a conventional tale, but this is full of magical surprises that occasionally ruffle its otherwise serene surface.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/06/04
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
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